Last June, the 911 Good Samaritan Law was passed in Washington State, providing legal immunity to people who call for medical assistance for drug users who overdose.
This month, the Illinois Assembly is considering a similar bill for their state. Critics of the bill say it would benefit people who abuse and deal drugs, but supporters say it will save lives. The bill has passed in the state senate, with amendments limiting immunity to persons possessing less than a specified amount of drugs (for example, less than three grams of a substance containing heroin) who are not already under investigation for drug trafficking.
Similar bills have also been adopted in both Washington State and New Mexico, and are also being considered in Florida. Speaking about the law, Retired Chicago Police Captain John Roberts said, "The best thing we can do is save the person's life and sort everything out later, as it comes."
Read more about the Illinois bill: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-overdoseimmunity,0,2478017.story
Learn more about Washington State's bill: http://stopoverdose.org
